Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes still has to regain his mobility after knee surgery.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still working his way back onto the football field, but his charity work doesn’t take a break for rehab.
Mahomes has been busy this offseason, staying at the team facility while he works through a complicated knee injury that cut short his 2025 season. The Chiefs quarterback also made some good news this week as he took time to help out youth in the Kansas City area.
Patrick Mahomes Shares Encouragement for Local Youth
Mahomes took time last week to visit Kansas City-area schools, reading to 3,000 students as part of the annual Learn to Read KC reading rally. The organization shared a joint Instagram post with the quarterback’s 15 and Mahomies Foundation.
“Lead to Read KC and @15andmahomies hosted our annual Reading Rally at @tmobilecenter in Kansas City featuring @patrickmahomes to celebrate the end of the 2025-26 Read for 15 program, which encourages students to ready 15 minutes daily,” the post noted. “There’s no better person in the world to drive home the importance of reading! Thank you to Patrick and event sponsor @kiewitcorp!”
As USA Today’s Chiefs Wire noted, Mahomes read the book “Ella and One Great Race” by author C.L. Fails, then offered some encouraging words to the students.
Mahomes has done plenty of charity work in the area, including an auction last fall that raised more than $1.5 million for charities. His foundation announced the big haul in a shared Instagram post in October.
“The 6th Annual 15 and the Mahomies Foundation Gala! Over 900 incredible supporters in attendance and $1,508,000 granted to 27 Kansas City charities up on stage,” the post noted. “Thank you to all of our amazing partners who continue to support the mission. Together, we are changing lives. See you all next year! 
.”
Patrick Mahomes Making Progress on the Football Front
Mahomes has been making steady progress in his rehab for a torn ACL and LCL he suffered in December, a complicated injury that is expected to have a longer rehab than a torn ACL alone.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared optimism about his return last week, saying he believes Mahomes could be on track to start the season.
“Every player is different. I will tell you though, I would never bet against him,” Reid said at the league’s annual meetings, via ESPN. “He’s going to put in the time and effort and always push it but within reason, so he doesn’t take steps back.
“So far, it’s all been positive. He’s doing great.”
Reid tempered the optimism a bit, saying he would defer to the team’s doctors and not push the franchise quarterback.
“The key is if he’s ready,” Reid said. “We’re not going to force something. If we think he’s in a position where he’s [physically] sound, yeah, he potentially could [play]. I’m not going to tell you one way or the other. I want to see him progress here and keep going.
“I’m going to defer to the [medical] experts at that. If he’s good to go, he’ll go. If he’s not, we’ll manage that.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
